The disclosure relates to screw extruders comprising multiple barrel sections that are joined end-to-end and two screw shafts housed in the longitudinal through bore of the barrel sections. A single continuous cylindrical barrel, formed by joining multiple cylindrical barrel sections, forms the extruder-processing zone.
To produce the desired product, different processes need to be carried out in a specific sequence. This requires arranging the barrel sections in a specific order linearly, as dictated by the product and its properties. Therefore, the barrel sections have to be dismantled and re-assembled in a new order as and when required. Further, the various barrel sections need to be periodically dismantled for cleaning and maintenance purposes.
Conventionally, the barrel sections are joined end to end with their flanges abutted and then bolted together at the flanges. However, due to the presence of numerous bolts, which are required to tightly hold the barrel sections, the act of assembling and dismantling becomes cumbersome and time consuming Hence, there is need for a clamping mechanism that eases and/or expedites the act of assembling and dismantling the barrel sections and at the same time provides adequate clamping force.
Extruders operate at elevated temperatures and sometimes when thermal expansion of the barrel sections along the length of the twin-screw extruder takes place, the support conditions of the twin-screw extruder may be required to be changed for adequate support. If adequate change in support is not provided, it might lead to misalignment of the barrel sections. Moreover, relative thermal expansion between barrels may result in accumulation of stresses and misalignment of barrels. Therefore, there is need for a system that takes care of adjusting support conditions with variation in temperature of the twin-screw extruder. The support structure should also ease barrel mounting.